Folding car-step.



S. A. CAMPBELL.

FOLDING CAR STEP.

APPL CATION FILED MAY. 29.. I915.

1,156,752,. Patented Oct; 12, 1915.

2 SHEET$SHEET 1.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH m.,wAsmNGTDN, D. c.

S. A. CAMPBELL. V FOLDING CAR STEP.

. APPLICATlON FILED MAY 29. I9I5. 1,156,752,

2 $HEETSSHEET 2- u /22 .l llll 5. CH Uw/77Za// Qt: A

Patented Oct. 12, 1915.

lmfm TE TWERE 1 sooRA'rEs A. CAMPBELL, or *MOUNID-VALLEY, Kansas 2 To all whom itmay concern: e

Be it knownthat I, SooRA'rEs A; CAMP- BELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mound Valley, in the county of Labette and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Car-Steps; and I do hereby declare the fol lowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it 'apper tains to make and use the same.v 7 ,This invention relates to auxiliary folding car steps for attachment to the ordinary approaching or alighting fiight of steps: of

railway cars, anduthe primary objectof'the invention is to, provide an auxiliary step, which is hingedlyv connected to the under surface of the lowermost tread of the usual V like or corresponding parts throughout the I flight of steps, so that it may be'moved downwardlyinto an operative position, or

WVith the foregoing and other objects in view this invention consists in such novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying-drawings and claimed,

In describing the invention in detail reference will-be ,had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters designate several views, and in which I Figure 1 is a side elevation of a flight of steps, showing the improved folding step attached thereto and in an operative posltion, Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the steps,

showing the improved folding step attached thereto in a folded position, Fig.3 is a top plan view of the steps, showing the auxil-- iary step folded, Fig. '4 is across'sectional view through the flight of steps, showing the auxiliary step extended or in an operative position, and 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, l designates an ordinary approaching or alighting flight of steps carried by a rallway car 2. The lowermost tread 3 of the Fig. 5 is a view on the line g of the drawings. When it-is desired, to ex roLprive CAR-STEP. I

' Specification of Letters Patent. LPatefitd Obi 19 1 5, "ApplicationfiledMayfla,1 915,'Seria1lQo;3;1,27G; i

flight of? steps lhas the riser4 of auxil iary step structure 5' hingedly connected thereto for, folding engagement with 'the'under surface" of the tread 3. The riser'4 has the auxiliary tread '6jpivotallyv connected thereto by means of angled plates7 which plates have the outer ends of their'h'orizontal armssecured to thetread 6 by mea'n's of any sultable type of pins or members [8,

while the substantially vertical armsofjthe'-.,

and 11 to the tread6, whichplates'fare'p'rOA vided with slots 12, in whichj'fpins' 13'arej:

slidably seated. The pins 13'' are connected to the ends of the riser 4formoving' the riser into a folded position upon the pivotal movement of the lever 14, which ispivotally carried bya crankshaft'1 5. I'Thelever 14 is pivotally connected to a ,projectionfl l6 which is formed upon the side plates'll'a'nd it connected to the crankshaft 15 for rotating, the crank shaft upon movement of flight ofsteps 1 nd has ex fision whi hi formed u 'th plate 10 connectved to the crank. portionformed upon its, end

opposite to the one to which the lever" 14 is connected, and upon the opposite side of the'flight of steps, asis clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The side. plate 17 has an angled stop plate 20 secured thereto, the angled side 21 of which provides a rest which is engaged by the handle end of the lever 14 when the auxiliary step'is in an extended position.

A ratchet 22 is mounted upon the crank shaft 15 and the peripheral ratchet teeth thereof are engaged by a pawl 23, which is pivotally supported'by the sides 17, for

,7 V 7 so I the levergl The crank' shaftli isrotjatably -mounted in'the side plates 17 and-18 of. the

holding the lever 14 in a downward position and the auxiliary step '5 in a folded position, as is indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, against accidental extending movement of the extension relative to thelever 14.

When the auxiliary step 5 is infolded position during the travel of the car upon which it is mounted, the lever 14 is in downward position, as indicated in Fig. 2

tend the auxiliary. step 5, the hand grip 25,

of the lever 14 is engaged and the lever ismoved' downwardlysufficient to release the 22, after which the lever is moved upwardly to the position indicated in Fig. l of the drawings, where it is held by engagement riser and tread sections t and 6 respectively will be permitted, for causing them to move into facial abutment with each other when in a foldedposition.

From the foregoingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings the advantages of construction and of the method of operation of the improved folding car step will be readily apparent to those'skilled in the art to which this invention appertains and, while in the foregoing description, the principle of the operation of this. invention has been described together with various features of construction, it is to be understood that certain minor features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be altered to suit practical conditions provided such alterations are comprehended within the scope of what is claimed.

What is claimed is I 1. The combination with an ordinary permanent flight of steps of a railway'coach, of a riser hingedly'connected to the under surface of the lowermost tread of said flight of steps, a tread pivotally connected to. said riser, a pair of plates pivotally connected to said tread and said riser and extending upwardly along the sides of said flight of steps, extensions formed upon said plates, a crank shaft rotatably carried by said permanent flight of steps, a lever carried by said crank shaft, said lever being pivotally connected to one of said plates for moving said steps into or out of a folded position upon movement of the lever, the other of said plates being operatively connected to the crank portion of said crank shaft.

2. The combination with an ordinary permanent flight of steps of a railway coach, of a riser hingedly connected to the under surface of the lowermost treadof said flight of steps, a tread pivotally connected to said riser, a pair of plates pivotally connected to said tread and said riser and extending upwardly along the sides of said flight of steps, extensions formed uponsaid plates, a crank shaft rotatably carried by said permanent flight of steps, a lever carried by said crank shaft, said lever being pivotally connected to one of said plates for moving said steps into or out of a folded positionupon movement of the lever, the other of said plates being operatively connected to the crank portion of said crank shaft, means for limiting the upward movement of said lever, and means for holding said lever in a downward position against 7 the weight of said foldable step.

In testimony whereof I 'aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SOCRATES A. CAMPBELL.

Witnesses:

V A MORRIS,

'HILDA HOLM.

r (lopiesof this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G. v 

